Garland Conley, born about 1782, was a pioneer settler in the Crawley Creek section of present-day Logan County, West Virginia. Mr. Conley, husband to the former Elizabeth “Bettie” Farley, died on May 6, 1859. In May or June, the Logan County Court recognized Conley’s last will and testament. During the Civil War, Union soldiers burned the county courthouse and destroyed most antebellum records, including Conley’s will. In 1868, grandson John Fon Conley refiled the will; by the early 1890s, it was once again lost to record. The Conley as transcribed below comes from records pertaining to C.H. Gore, Sheriff v. Elizabeth Conley et al. (1894).

Garland Conley deceased

To copy (set up copy)

Last Will and Testament

State of West Virginia

Logan County to wit:

A True Copy of the last will and testament of Garland Conley deceased so far as said will relates to the lands bequeathed by said Conley to Alexander Burton, James Conley, Oliver Conley, Garland Conley, Jr.

1st. I give and bequeath to Alexander Burton a certain tract of land in Logan County on Crawley Creek Beginning at the mouth of the Cow hollow running up the point on the upper side of said hollow so as to include all the land on the Pigeon Roost fork above said point to the head of said Pigeon Roost fork.

2nd. I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Conley my beloved wife the house and apple orchard lot [for] her life time then after her Death to James Conley his life time and after his death to the heirs of his body forever.

3rd. I give and bequeath to James Conley [for] his life time and after his death to the heirs of his body the following land. Beginning at the mouth of the middle fork of Crawley thence up the end of the apple orchard thence to the top of the ridge between said middle fork and main Crawleys creek including all the land on said Crawleys creek up to a walnut log.

4th. I give and bequeath to Oliver Conley [for] his life time after his Death to the heirs of his body all the lands from the mouth of the first right hand hollow of Dempsey fork to the head of said Dempsey fork.

5th. I give and bequeath to Garland B. Conley [for] his life time and after his death to the heirs of his body all the land on Crawleys creek above the walnut log (the upper end of the land that I have this day willed to James Conley) by the said Crawley Creek to the head thereof (of the main creek).

Witness my hand this 4th day of May 1859

Garland Conley

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State of West Virginia

Logan County to wit:

This day John Conley personally appeared before me L.D. Hill a Justice of the peace in and for Logan County and Chapmansville Township and County aforesaid and made oath that the above will of Garland Conley deceased so far as the said will relates to the lands set forth in said will is true and that said will was duly proved in the County Court of Logan County at the May or June Term of said Court for the year 1859 and admitted to record by said Court.

Given under my hand and seal this 2nd day of May 1868.

Lorenzo D. Hill, J.P.

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Logan County to wit:

I, W. Straton late clerk of Logan County Court and was Deputy in Logan Circuit Court, do certify that there was a will of Garland Conley late of said County admitted to and recorded in said County Court and that the same has become lost by means of the records and papers of said Court being destroyed in time of the late war.

Logan C.H., W.Va. May 4, 1868

Wm. Straton

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At a county court Began and held for Logan County W.Va. at the Court House thereof on Monday the 11th day of November 1889

On motion of John F. Conley

A partial copy of the last will of Garland Conley deceased is hereby allowed to be recorded in the clerk’s office of the County Court of Logan County, it appearing to the Court that said Copy of said will was admitted to record on the 11th day of August 1868 and that no record of said copy can now be found among the records of said office.

It is therefore ordered that the clerk of this court record in the proper will book the copy of said will.